scholarly journals Ovarian Cancer Stemness: Biological and Clinical Implications for Metastasis and Chemotherapy Resistance

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Motohara ◽  
Hidetaka Katabuchi

Epithelial ovarian cancer is a highly lethal gynecological malignancy that is characterized by the early development of disseminated metastasis. Though ovarian cancer has been generally considered to preferentially metastasize via direct transcoelomic dissemination instead of the hematogenous route, emerging evidence has indicated that the hematogenous spread of cancer cells plays a larger role in ovarian cancer metastasis than previously thought. Considering the distinctive biology of ovarian cancer, an in-depth understanding of the biological and molecular mechanisms that drive metastasis is critical for developing effective therapeutic strategies against this fatal disease. The recent “cancer stem cell theory” postulates that cancer stem cells are principally responsible for tumor initiation, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. Even though the hallmarks of ovarian cancer stem cells have not yet been completely elucidated, metastasized ovarian cancer cells, which have a high degree of chemoresistance, seem to manifest cancer stem cell properties and play a key role during relapse at metastatic sites. Herein, we review our current understanding of the cell-biological mechanisms that regulate ovarian cancer metastasis and chemotherapy resistance, with a pivotal focus on ovarian cancer stem cells, and discuss the potential clinical implications of evolving cancer stem cell research and resultant novel therapeutic approaches.

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenxiang Wang ◽  
Yuxia Gao ◽  
Jing Hai ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Shufeng Duan

Abstract Increasing evidence shows that cancer stem cells are responsible for drug resistance and relapse of tumors. In breast cancer, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) induces Herceptin resistance by inducing cancer stem cells. In the present study, we explored the effect of HER2 on cancer stem cells induction and drug sensitivity of ovarian cancer cell lines. First, we found that HER2 overexpression (HER2 OE) induced, while HER2 knockdown (HER2 KD) decreased CD44+/CD24− population. Consistently, HER2 expression was closely correlated with the sphere formation efficiency (SFE) of ovarian cancer cells. Second, we found that NFκB inhibition by specific inhibitor JSH23 or siRNA targetting subunit p65 dramatically impaired the induction of ovarian cancer stem cells by HER2, indicating that NFκB mediated HER2-induced ovarian cancer stem cells. Third, we found that HER2 KD significantly attenuated the tumorigenicity of ovarian cancer cells. Further, we found that HER2 inhibition increased drastically the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to doxorubicin (DOX) or paclitaxel (PTX). Finally, we examined the correlation between HER2 status and stem cell-related genes expression in human ovarian tumor tissues, and found that expressions of OCT4, COX2, and Nanog were higher in HER2 positive tumors than in HER2 negative tumors. Consistently, the 5-year tumor-free survival rate of HER2 positive patients was dramatically lower than HER2 negative patients. Taken together, our data indicate that HER2 decreases drug sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells via inducing stem cell-like property.


2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (48) ◽  
pp. 17266-17271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suping Zhang ◽  
Bing Cui ◽  
Hsien Lai ◽  
Grace Liu ◽  
Emanuela M. Ghia ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (38) ◽  
pp. 12785-12789 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Lu ◽  
K. Laws ◽  
A. Eskandari ◽  
K. Suntharalingam

Tetranuclear copper(ii) complexes containing multiple diclofenac and Schiff base moieties,1–4, are shown to kill bulk cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) with low micromolar potency.


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (14) ◽  
pp. 4211-4215
Author(s):  
Arvin Eskandari ◽  
Arunangshu Kundu ◽  
Alice Johnson ◽  
Sanjib Karmakar ◽  
Sushobhan Ghosh ◽  
...  

A multi-nuclear, triangular-shaped palladium(ii) complex is shown to equipotently kill bulk cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the micromolar range.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheetal Dyall ◽  
Simon A. Gayther ◽  
Dimitra Dafou

The cancer stem cell hypothesis is becoming more widely accepted as a model for carcinogenesis. Tumours are heterogeneous both at the molecular and cellular level, containing a small population of cells that possess highly tumourigenic “stem-cell” properties. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumour-initiating cells, have the ability to self-renew, generate xenografts reminiscent of the primary tumour that they were derived from, and are chemoresistant. The characterisation of the CSC population within a tumour that drives its growth could provide novel target therapeutics against these cells specifically, eradicating the cancer completely. There have been several reports describing the isolation of putative cancer stem cell populations in several cancers; however, no defined set of markers has been identified that conclusively characterises “stem-like” cancer cells. This paper highlights the current experimental approaches that have been used in the field and discusses their limitations, with specific emphasis on the identification and characterisation of the CSC population in epithelial ovarian cancer.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e16542-e16542
Author(s):  
Prattusha Sengupta ◽  
Sudeshna Gangopadhyay ◽  
Saubhik Sengupta ◽  
Ujjal Kanti Ray ◽  
Ashis Mukhopadhyay

e16542 Background: Invasive and mesenchymal property of Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells (OCSCs)with CD44+/CD133+has made them promising target for targeted treatment. Chemotherapy treatment uses medicine to weaken and destroy cancer cells in body, including cells at original cancer site and any cancer cells that may have spread to another part of body. Chemotherapeutic drugs for advanced chemo-resistant ovarian cancer are yet to be well defined. Combination of drugs is also not fully known. Our objective is to define chemotherapeutic drugs and its action in OCSC which is the major reason for chemo resistance in case of advanced chemo-resistant ovarian cancer patients. Methods: A total of twenty biopsy proven advanced chemo-resistant ovarian cancer patients in the age group of 22-36 years were selected randomly and tested for CD44/CD133 via flow cytometry. Isolated OCSCs were cultured for ex vivo drug sensitivity towards platinum, anthracyclin, docetaxel, rapamycin, sunitinib, sorafenib and gefitinib. Correlation was drawn between cell differentiations, % of stem cells and drug response. Accordingly chemotherapy was designed for a particular patient. Results: We detected OCSCs in 90% of cases. Among positive samples ex vivo drug sensitivity was seen in 4(20%) to rapamycin, 1(5%) to sunitinib, 1(5%) to sorafenib, 1(5%) to gefitinib, 3(15%) to platinum, 1(5%) to anthracyclin, 1(5%) to docetaxel and rest showed no sensitivity to any drug. Conclusions: Thus primary aim to target OCSCs at onset of tumors in ovarian cancer patients to control metastasis and relapse of disease was somewhat obtained. Most interestingly, we found that the chemotherapeutic drugs which were less prescribed for ovarian cancer showed greater sensitivity in comparison to the widely used ones. We like to do animal model study followed by phase I, II and III human clinical trial to establish our hypothesis for better management of chemo-resistant ovarian cancer.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miae Won ◽  
Ji Hyeon Kim ◽  
Myung Sun Ji ◽  
Jong Seung Kim

We developed a prodrug (DE-CPT) that efficiently decreases the cancer stem cell population and kills the cancer cells by ROS activation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (45) ◽  
pp. E6215-E6223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huimin Zhang ◽  
Haiquan Lu ◽  
Lisha Xiang ◽  
John W. Bullen ◽  
Chuanzhao Zhang ◽  
...  

Increased expression of CD47 has been reported to enable cancer cells to evade phagocytosis by macrophages and to promote the cancer stem cell phenotype, but the molecular mechanisms regulating CD47 expression have not been determined. Here we report that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) directly activates transcription of the CD47 gene in hypoxic breast cancer cells. Knockdown of HIF activity or CD47 expression increased the phagocytosis of breast cancer cells by bone marrow-derived macrophages. CD47 expression was increased in mammosphere cultures, which are enriched for cancer stem cells, and CD47 deficiency led to cancer stem cell depletion. Analysis of datasets derived from thousands of patients with breast cancer revealed that CD47 expression was correlated with HIF target gene expression and with patient mortality. Thus, CD47 expression contributes to the lethal breast cancer phenotype that is mediated by HIF-1.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Huang ◽  
Shanshan Xu ◽  
Dongxiao Hu ◽  
Weiguo Lu ◽  
Xing Xie ◽  
...  

BackgroundWide metastasis is one of characteristics of ovarian cancer. Cancer stem cells, as a source in cancer invasion and metastasis, possess powerful potential of differentiation. Scaffolding IQ domain GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) plays a key role in the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, but IQGAP1’s role in cancer stem cells including ovarian cancer was unclear.MethodsSpheroid culture with serum-free medium was used for enriching ovarian cancer stem cell-like cells (CSC-LCs) from 3AO cell line, and a medium with 10% fetal bovine serum was used to induce the differentiation of CSC-LCs. Immunofluorescence was for detecting the stem markers OCT4 and SOX2. The quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were performed to determine the messenger RNA and protein expression of IQGAP1, respectively. The capacity of cell invasion was evaluated by transwell chamber assay.ResultsOvarian CSC-LCs obtained through spheroid culture showed irregularly elongated appearance, CD24 negative, and OCT4 and SOX2 positive. IQGAP1 expression was decreased in ovarian CSC-LCs compared with parental 3AO cells, but increased de novo during the differentiation of CSC-LCs. Knockdown of IQGAP1 by specific small interfering RNA remarkably weakened invasion capacity of 2-day differentiated ovarian CSC-LCs.ConclusionsIncreased IQGAP1 expression during the differentiation of CSC-LCs is involved in an aggressive cell behavior, which may contribute to metastasis of ovarian cancer.


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